Meux is a member of a group of serial burglars called the Irv Boys. (Dakota County Jail / FOX 9)
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - A member of a group of serial burglars, believed to be involved in more than 140 incidents in 36 cities, is behind bars Tuesday night.
Their crimes spanned a four-month period across the Twin Cities metro area and there may be as many as 50 suspects involved in the spree.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Irv Boys responsible for hundreds of burglaries across Twin Cities
A member of the Irv Boys was arrested and charged and the group of more than 50 people is responsible for robberies in more than 30 municipalities.
The Dakota County Attorney is the latest in a long list of agencies to file charges against the burglary gang known as the Irv Boys.
Sgt. Rich Evans, of the Eagan Police Department, said they are responsible for shootings, motor vehicle thefts, credit card fraud, thefts, burglaries and more.
The latest Irv Boy charged is 20-year-old Nijel Jaquan Meux of Minneapolis.
Law enforcement tracked him down after Eagan Police found a Honda abandoned in the middle of the road. Evidence led police to a burglarized home. Among the items reported stolen were handbags, cash, credit cards, cellphones, a laptop, an SUV and a wheelchair-accesible van.
Minneapolis Police found the stolen van in April and placed three minors in custody after they found cell phone video of all three inside the van. Fortunately, a security feature on the stolen laptop also took a photo of Meux.
“That allowed the owner to get a screenshot showing the picture of the person that was activating the laptop along with the geolocation of the residence where it was activated,” said Evans.
The photo of Meux also happened to capture his home, where the Irv Boys would hang out.
“This was a big break. It helped break open a metro-wide burglary ring,” Evans said.
Finally, text and Facebook messages between the three boys and Meux around the time of the burglary revealed one of the boys messaged Meux stating, “We done.”
Meux then asked, “Ya’ll almost at McDonald’s?” To which one of the boys replied, “Yep. Pullin’ up.”
Meux confessed he drove the boys to the Eagan home in a stolen car. Once there, he acted as a lookout while the others went inside.
The case proves that crime doesn’t pay and the harm caused is “immeasurable,” according to Evans.
Meux is not in custody, but now faces a felony, first-degree burglary charge. Meux is due in court in January.